March Friendles - What to look for

[rollo]

With the 2 friendlies next week its interesting to know what everyone will be looking for from the team and individual players. There are many new or almost new faces and older guys looking to bring up their game.

The new--
Well its almost obvious what can the new players do at this level?

DeMerit- Unfortunately his injure means that even if he gets on the field any less than great performance will have to be stated with that caveat. From seeing him in the EPL it seems that he is prone getting caught in some bad situations but its sometimes hard to separate the performance of an individual from the backline since the player looking bad can easily be let down by poor positioning of others and/or trying to overcompensate.

Simek- Anything will be new. Is he better than Cher, and even more important, better than Albright or Spector at RB? Will Simek raise the bar even higher for Wynne to "be ready"?

Feilhaber - I am very excited to see Benny play with the USMNT. Loosing a place in the senior team at his position is not a huge deal in my book since it is a much more difficult position to star at a high level than most other positions on the field. Essien is an exception and the other players that are the starters at this position include names like Viera, Davids, Keane, etc that have been pretty much the MVP at the heart of the best teams. If Feilhaber is the real deal, now is the time to invest in getting him to be the best he can be!

Pearce - The BUSLB? Prove it!

Spector - Again another defender with a lot of positives but nothing really good to write home about. Can he settle into a spot and shine?

Bradley - Just progress and belonging would be great. Everything else is excellent.

Mapp - Can he do it again?

Carroll - Has talent but intersperses good play with some piss poor decisions. Will experience bring consistency so that he can be relied upon? Do not expect him to ever be our number one at this position but he could definitely stay in the depth chart with consistency.

Cooper - Versatility got him on the team but in the long run may ruin him. He needs to be a star at a position not mediocre at two.


THE OLD--

Dempsey- Did Clint learn anything new in the EPL? Can he play with Donovan in the midfield and connect well? Seems like its either Clint taking it in or LD and I would like to see these two on the same page more often.

LD- Forward or midfielder? He is with yet another coach that may keep switching him around. Regardless of being the best USMNT player, any player will profit from being played regularly in the same position with the same general formation and tactics. BB seems to be happy with LD so far. I would like to see more attacking by taking on players 'yawn"!

Beasely- Mostly, is he confident again? He has shown some really good spells for citeh. If he is going to keep making the one-touch back pass at least get it right most of the time. It would be great if he took the responsibility to turn with the ball or use his speed to make space and then make some positive passes for a little variation. No doubt that the one-touch backpass is a good tactic, but no tactic is the best one all the time.

Boca - This is the best he has been in a long time. If the situation dictates can he cover def mid adequately?


EJ - Please show some improvement soon and a path to excellence. If our options were not so meager he would not be there. Truth is the upside is worth the patience in my book, even though I have serious doubts that he will "return". For now I would rather invest in the players with better potential even if a "limited" player is playing better now.


Twellman - I think limited. Prove me wrong and I'm happy.
Ching - A little better. Prove me wrong and I'm happy.


I've left out some players but really need to get back to work...

btw, see http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502397 for some thoughts along this same line for Galcerep

[Adam Zebrowski]

i think you have to take into account whether it's ecuador or guatemala any given player is performing against...

you could perform well against guatemala and your competition poorly against ecuador, but flip personnel and the good performance against guatemala, might become a stinkeroo against ecuador...

i'm more interested in seeing who bradley starts against ecuador as i believe hes' telling us who the better 11, in camp, is

[onefineesq]

i think you have to take into account whether it's ecuador or guatemala any given player is performing against...

you could perform well against guatemala and your competition poorly against ecuador, but flip personnel and the good performance against guatemala, might become a stinkeroo against ecuador...

i'm more interested in seeing who bradley starts against ecuador as i believe hes' telling us who the better 11, in camp, is But isn't that even MORE reason that many of the newer guys should start the game against Ecuador? What is learned if all the "normal" starters go out and earn a 1-0 victory against Ecudaor? Compare that to what will have been learned if the newer guys go out there and win 1-0, or conversely get shellacked 3-0. I don't want to see a continuation of the 2006 WC here. I want to see who can step up to the challenge ......... and so should Bradley.

[FirstStar]

Question is whether Bob is thinking about shedding the "interim" label or not. If he is, he plays his best XI against Ecuador in order to get the signature win that might propel him to the permanent position.

If not, and he's really thinking about this summer, he plays a Copa America preview squad against Ecuador and a Gold Cup preview squad against Guatemala.

Also, throw into the mix the pressure from the Euro squads to have their players back by mid-week.

[rollo]

Question is whether Bob is thinking about shedding the "interim" label or not. If he is, he plays his best XI against Ecuador in order to get the signature win that might propel him to the permanent position.

If not, and he's really thinking about this summer, he plays a Copa America preview squad against Ecuador and a Gold Cup preview squad against Guatemala.

Also, throw into the mix the pressure from the Euro squads to have their players back by mid-week.

I think this sounds right.

If BB has to split the squad for the summer then he will have to gauge "how good does the squad need to be for the gold cup" versus the copa america. If he has 2 of each starters for each position then he can at least have a good first team at each tournament. Its probably a given that Copa America will be the more difficult tournament. Therefore, if he can get starter worthy performances out of the likes of Demerit, Simek, Spector, Bradley, Carroll, Feilhaber, Mapp, Cooper, Twellman, etc versus Guatemala, then he will have the makings of a good team to send to the gold cup.

[Eleven Bravo]

With the 2 friendlies next week its interesting to know what everyone will be looking for from the team and individual players. There are many new or almost new faces and older guys looking to bring up their game.

...

btw, see http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502397 for some thoughts along this same line for Galcerep

good job and i agree with pretty much everything you said.

in addition to what you already said, what i'm gong to be looking at:

1) Howard controlling the backline. Sometimes he seems a little bit timid giving commands...hopefully, now that he's our #1 and he's starting every game in the EPL, he will become the leader that we need.

2) Cherundolo and Onyewu [besides Conrad & maybe Mastroeni] are really on trial to see who is going to be our next captain...now that Reyna is retired and Captain America is dead (kind of ironic that he did die not too long from when Reyna retired).

3) How well does Cooper play with Donovan up top!? that's really what i want to know because i truthfully think that Cooper has the most potential to be our replacement for McBride. Hell, i think it's possible he could even be better, given a few more years.

4) Bocanegra, Spector, and Simek are all going to be options for DM in my opinion these games [especially since Clark is injured]. So, i'm willing to see how they do there.

5) And i just want to add about Fielhaber...i really lost a lot of faith in him since losing his position with Hamburg. Now i understand Hamburg's status and the quality of the players on their team, but it's definately makes me pessimistic when our replacement for O' Brien & Reyna is playing for some team's reserves. Hopefully, he can latch on to a top flight team in the summer where he can become a starter.

[kjksccr]

From Wikipedia on Reyna's Bundesliga start:

On August 8, 1994, Reyna signed with German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen after playing in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He had difficulty finding playing time with the Leverkusen first team, making only 5 appearances. Leverkusen loaned Reyna to fellow Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg in July 1997. He quickly established himself in Wolfsburg's first team where he became the first American to captain a major European club.

Benny:

On October 12, 2006 Feilhaber made his Bundesliga debut, coming on as a second half substitute in a 2-1 home loss to Schalke 04. On October 22, 2006 he made his first Bundesliga start, playing all 90 minutes in a 2-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburg's first win of the season.

He has appeared in 9 matches this year. BTW, they were both 21 when they signed. My point is he has lots of time.

[Adam Zebrowski]

presuming the newer guys are copa america dedicated, given bradley is going A squad versus gold cup, i think we'll get a solid look at the newbies in a very difficult environment....


so make the job a bit easier by giving the newbies a relatively easier match against guatemala....we find out about them later this summer...

A squad, well it's more about regaining chemistry, and a better ecuador will offer more a challenge...

this is just my preference, you could do it either way...

[deron]

After the second camp, and with a lot of new faces I'll be looking to see if Bradley puts a bit more of HIS spin on the team. The previous games, I felt, were very similar to what we'd see under Arena - particularly in the build-up.

Can we make better use of our quick players, playing combinations, and keeping the ball for shorter passes?

[england66]

Cooper - Versatility got him on the team but in the long run may ruin him. He needs to be a star at a position not mediocre at two.



14 competitive goals and leading MLS in game winning goals got him on the team.....

[rollo]

14 competitive goals and leading MLS in game winning goals got him on the team.....

I will not dispute this but seems like Bradley did not think enough of him as a replacement at forward to play him in that position over the likes of Ching and EJ. My point is that I hope he gets a chance to win a position either at forward or as that wide player so that he can become number one in that position. If he keeps getting his minutes out wide and not up top, it seems to me that his chances are not as good at beating out Ching and Twellman. Did not mean to dis Cooper, just worried that he won't get the chances he needs to establish himself. As a wide player he has been pretty effective in MLS as you mentioned. However, our needs are more up top and the competition for wide left will be more fierce.

[england66]

I will not dispute this but seems like Bradley did not think enough of him as a replacement at forward to play him in that position over the likes of Ching and EJ. My point is that I hope he gets a chance to win a position either at forward or as that wide player so that he can become number one in that position. If he keeps getting his minutes out wide and not up top, it seems to me that his chances are not as good at beating out Ching and Twellman. Did not mean to dis Cooper, just worried that he won't get the chances he needs to establish himself. As a wide player he has been pretty effective in MLS as you mentioned. However, our needs are more up top and the competition for wide left will be more fierce.


I agree with this. Cooper's future is as the main striker or as the off striker. He knows he's not going to play for the USA as a wide left player.

[Adam Zebrowski]

does cooper have any insight into which of the summer events he'll be doing?

[england66]

does cooper have any insight into which of the summer events he'll be doing?


No. Unlike some national team players he would NEVER,EVER just "assume" he was going to be called up. He realises he's as good as his last game/practice. IMO its time for Bradley to do the thing most coaches won't even think about....drop the underperforming "tenured" players every fcuking time.....that'd get their attention.

[Scotty]

I will not dispute this but seems like Bradley did not think enough of him as a replacement at forward to play him in that position over the likes of Ching and EJ. My point is that I hope he gets a chance to win a position either at forward or as that wide player so that he can become number one in that position. If he keeps getting his minutes out wide and not up top, it seems to me that his chances are not as good at beating out Ching and Twellman. Did not mean to dis Cooper, just worried that he won't get the chances he needs to establish himself. As a wide player he has been pretty effective in MLS as you mentioned. However, our needs are more up top and the competition for wide left will be more fierce.

I don't recall Cooper playing out wide for Dallas more than a handfull of times.

And I'd be shocked if Bradley were looking at him for any position other than forward.

[stopper4]

No. Unlike some national team players he would NEVER,EVER just "assume" he was going to be called up. He realises he's as good as his last game/practice. IMO its time for Bradley to do the thing most coaches won't even think about....drop the underperforming "tenured" players every fcuking time.....that'd get their attention.

Now, now. That's just fringe benefit of USMNT.

If Cooper becomes a regular, he, too, will benefit from numerous 'benefit of the doubt' callups and caps if his career ever needs a jump-start.

[england66]

...I don't recall Cooper playing out wide for Dallas more than a handfull of times.




he didn't. He was quite effective when he did though, including MLS goal of the week vs RSL sometime in sept (I think) week 26 on mlsnet.com

[MLSNHTOWN]

No. Unlike some national team players he would NEVER,EVER just "assume" he was going to be called up. He realises he's as good as his last game/practice. IMO its time for Bradley to do the thing most coaches won't even think about....drop the underperforming "tenured" players every fcuking time.....that'd get their attention.

"underperforming tenured players"?

We are talking generally about forwards, so I will say this. We are not the deepest team in the world. As a result, several of these "underperforming tenured players" keep getting caps despite the fact that they haven't really shown/done much. With Bradley this is what, his third camp? Give him time to sort out whatever issues he needs to sort out. When he gets a better grip of what is going on, then he may do something to grab a particular players attention. But I don't think that merely three camps in any coach can push the envelope like this without running the risk of making it appear that he entered the job with preconceived notions about particular players.

Kenny will get his chance. 1 cap, 1 goal. Good start. Tell him to keep his head down and keep plugging away. He has competitors for his position (Ching and Casey IMHO are going to be his biggest two competitors). Casey is more of a question mark despite some of his apperances during the Gold Cup a couple of years ago, but I think he will have a good year in MLS. If he doesn't, then obviously this discussion doesn't apply to him.

I think our general formation involves two forwards (obviously). I think for the most part we don't want to start two target forward types. Ching, Cooper, Casey and Twellman IMHO are all fighting for the same starting position and to a lesser extent a backup. As a general strategy it is ill advised to start two of those four together. You always want a forward who can threaten to get behind a defense to open space for your other forward. If you start two target types, the team doesn't have that.

As a result, Rolfe, Wolff, Eddie Johnson, Donovan may all get extra chances that Cooper or Ching might not get. Not because they deserve the shot more than Kenny, but because the US needs one of them to play great at forward to partner with Ching or Kenny.

So IMHO, Kenny isn't getting slighted by some of these underperformers continuing to get additional caps. I know it is hard to see that when EJ is called in and starts and Kenny is back in Dallas.

Kenny will have an opportunity to fight Ching for #1 on the target forward spot both in this camp and in the summer. Hopefully he and Ching will push each other to get better. Honestly though I am really not worried about that spot as I think that Kenny and/or Brian and/or Casey will step up and play well.

Right now, I am frightened to think about who we will put up top with them if we started qualifying.

[england66]

"underperforming tenured players"?

We are talking generally about forwards, so I will say this. We are not the deepest team in the world. As a result, several of these "underperforming tenured players" keep getting caps despite the fact that they haven't really shown/done much. With Bradley this is what, his third camp? Give him time to sort out whatever issues he needs to sort out. When he gets a better grip of what is going on, then he may do something to grab a particular players attention. But I don't think that merely three camps in any coach can push the envelope like this without running the risk of making it appear that he entered the job with preconceived notions about particular players.

Kenny will get his chance. 1 cap, 1 goal. Good start. Tell him to keep his head down and keep plugging away. He has competitors for his position (Ching and Casey IMHO are going to be his biggest two competitors). Casey is more of a question mark despite some of his apperances during the Gold Cup a couple of years ago, but I think he will have a good year in MLS. If he doesn't, then obviously this discussion doesn't apply to him.

I think our general formation involves two forwards (obviously). I think for the most part we don't want to start two target forward types. Ching, Cooper, Casey and Twellman IMHO are all fighting for the same starting position and to a lesser extent a backup. As a general strategy it is ill advised to start two of those four together. You always want a forward who can threaten to get behind a defense to open space for your other forward. If you start two target types, the team doesn't have that.

As a result, Rolfe, Wolff, Eddie Johnson, Donovan may all get extra chances that Cooper or Ching might not get. Not because they deserve the shot more than Kenny, but because the US needs one of them to play great at forward to partner with Ching or Kenny.

So IMHO, Kenny isn't getting slighted by some of these underperformers continuing to get additional caps. I know it is hard to see that when EJ is called in and starts and Kenny is back in Dallas.

Kenny will have an opportunity to fight Ching for #1 on the target forward spot both in this camp and in the summer. Hopefully he and Ching will push each other to get better. Honestly though I am really not worried about that spot as I think that Kenny and/or Brian and/or Casey will step up and play well.

Right now, I am frightened to think about who we will put up top with them if we started qualifying.


If you read my post again I wasn't neccessarily speaking of the USA national team....more SOME national teams in general....(England and Brazil from the last world cup come readily to mind) and wanting BB to not go down the same path....make the guys earn it EVERY single time, set the tone, have them realise their responsibility to the shirt...and if they don't then send 'em back to the LA Galaxy or wherever......

[MLSNHTOWN]

If you read my post again I wasn't neccessarily speaking of the USA national team....more SOME national teams in general....(England and Brazil from the last world cup come readily to mind) and wanting BB to not go down the same path....make the guys earn it EVERY single time, set the tone, have them realise their responsibility to the shirt...and if they don't then send 'em back to the LA Galaxy or wherever......

Yeah....I know where you are coming from with this comment. It is going to be hard to pull that off though like I said with the lack of the #2 striker options that we have. Wolff, Rolfe, EJ, LD? Too Old, Too young, Not good enough lately and better off in MF though he just got beat out there.

Esky?

Other options are convert another MF to forward (maybe Dempsey?), push Altidore into a time machine (if he is the guy...he still has a lot to prove himeself), start one by themself (IMHO this increases a Twellman's value over Cooper or Ching as like McBride, I don't know they can play the lone F role) or double up with big guys (ala Fulham with McBride and Helguson). This works nice on ocassion and will probably work against Central American teams where our size does give us a unique advantage, but if we try that against teams that can match our size with two big CB's, then we are really limiting our offensive options too much.

I don't know what the options are other than run out the same people over and over again until hopefully one of them gets it.

IMHO Donovan might honestly be the best option right now and for the considerable future despite his poor form.